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en-usEngadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronicsCopyright 2016 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.https://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/11/civilization-4-and-5-marked-down-for-amazon-deal-of-the-day/https://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/11/civilization-4-and-5-marked-down-for-amazon-deal-of-the-day/https://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/11/civilization-4-and-5-marked-down-for-amazon-deal-of-the-day/#comments

When it comes to kicking off a campaign of wholesale world domination, there really is no time like the present. Actually, there's doubly no better time than the present, as both Civilization 4: The Complete Edition and Civilization 5: The Only Edition are on sale today through Amazon.
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civ-4civ-ivcivilization-4civilization-5civilization-ivcivilization-vfiraxis-gamespcsid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivMon, 11 Apr 2011 14:30:00 -040011|19909397https://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/14/civilization-4-grammy-baba-yetu/https://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/14/civilization-4-grammy-baba-yetu/https://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/14/civilization-4-grammy-baba-yetu/#comments

Christopher Tin's "Baba Yetu," otherwise known as "that Civilization IV song that won't get out of your head," won a Grammy for "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists" at the 53rd annual music awards. The track, which is the first piece of video game music nominated for a little gramophone, was recognized so many years later because it was the opening track on composer Christopher Tin's debut album, Calling All Dawns, which also won a Grammy for "Best Classical Crossover Album."

Tin's "Baby Yetu" has been a mainstay of Video Games Live for several years and can be seen performed live on the show's DVD/Blu-ray (and on the YouTubes). "We're so proud of Christopher's Grammy Award victory and what he has accomplished," said Video Games Live CEO Tommy Tallarico in a statement this morning. "This historic moment will continue to bridge the gap between mainstream music and video games. It is an honor to perform his music in our show."

The award-winning song and the entire Calling All Dawns album are both available through iTunes.
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baba-yetuchristopher-tinciv-4civ-ivcivilization-4civilization-ivgrammygrammysmusicpcsid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivMon, 14 Feb 2011 09:10:00 -050011|19842635https://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/03/civ-iv-theme-nominated-for-grammy-first-game-music-ever-nominat/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/03/civ-iv-theme-nominated-for-grammy-first-game-music-ever-nominat/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/03/civ-iv-theme-nominated-for-grammy-first-game-music-ever-nominat/#comments

The slow-to-adapt music industry has finally caught on that Christopher Tin's "Baba Yetu," an amazing piece composed for Civilization IV, is worthy of a Grammy nomination. The song was originally created for the 2005 game, but has since made the pro choir circuit over the years, and has also become a staple of Video Games Live. The track, which is nominated in the "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists" category, is from the composer's debut album, Calling All Dawns.

Video Games Live Executive Producer Tommy Tallarico tells Joystiq that this is the first time a song made for a video game has been nominated for a Grammy award. He explained, "We've worked very hard through the Game Audio Network Guild for the past decade to gain game composers the ability to be nominated for a Grammy and to get the recognition they deserve. ... We've always been very honored to work together with our good friend Christopher Tin to bring this wonderful song to the world. As video games start to evolve more into our culture and become a bigger part of mainstream society, we're hoping to see a lot more of this kind of thing happening in the future."

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 13, 2011. Best of luck to Tin on grabbing the Grammy: he'll win an award and hold a record that will stand the test of time.
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2k-gameschristopher-tinciv-4civ-ivcivilization-4civilization-ivfiraxisfiraxis-gamespcsid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivtommy-tallaricoFri, 03 Dec 2010 15:30:00 -050011|19745315https://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/27/civilization-4-the-complete-edition-for-10-on-games-for-wind/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/27/civilization-4-the-complete-edition-for-10-on-games-for-wind/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/27/civilization-4-the-complete-edition-for-10-on-games-for-wind/#comments

Civilization 4: The Complete Edition is on sale through Games for Windows Live for $10. That's 75 percent off the regular price. The sale began today and will stand the test of time ... until September 1, 2010, when a sneak attack will wipe out the deal -- or so The Oracle foretells.

The Civ 4 complete edition includes all the expansion packs for the epic critically acclaimed strategy game, including Colonization, which is more of a spin-off. It's certainly an amazing deal, but just remember that Civilization 5 will be out September 21. We doubt that one will cost $10.
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2k-gamesciv-4civ-ivcivilization-4civilization-ivfiraxispcsid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivFri, 27 Aug 2010 08:00:00 -040011|19609209https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/27/direct2drives-spring-sale-star-trek-online-civ-4-torchlight/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/27/direct2drives-spring-sale-star-trek-online-civ-4-torchlight/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/27/direct2drives-spring-sale-star-trek-online-civ-4-torchlight/#comments

Once again, downloadable gaming retailer Direct2Drive has chosen to reduce the price of a whole gaggle of its offerings. Encheapened titles as part of the "Spring Sale" include interstellar MMO Star Trek Online ($29.95), Nazi-vanquishing sim The Saboteur ($14.95), mine-raiding RPG Torchlight ($9.95), world-dominating strategy title Civilization 4: Complete Edition ($9.95) and every X-Com game ever made, except for, you know, the new one ($4.95). To see the complete list of discounted games, click past the jump.

Now look, Direct2Drive. You really, really need to chill out with all of these sales. If you keep discounting the prices of your games with such regularity, then people are going to start thinking that these are your normal going rates for these titles. During the off-times when you're not holding a sale, they're going to start thinking that you're just having a temporary ... expensiveization. That can't possibly be good for business.
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2k-gamesciv-4civilizationcivilization-4civilization-ivdealdirect2drivefiraxis-gamessalesid-meiers-civilization-4star-trek-onlinestrategythe-saboteurtorchlightx-comTue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -040011|19454588https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/april-fools-civilization-v-to-feature-extreme-diplomacy/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/april-fools-civilization-v-to-feature-extreme-diplomacy/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/april-fools-civilization-v-to-feature-extreme-diplomacy/#comments

Firaxis and 2K Games today announced "Extreme Diplomacy," a new feature for Civilization V, the upcoming installment of the tired strategy series. In an attempt to get the masses playing the turn-based snore fest, the series will add a fighting game death match arena: "two world leaders enter" ... "one world leader leaves." The victor is said to gain control of the defeated's empire.

The publisher has also announced an Über Edition of Civ V, which includes an 8-button joystick "to bring the classic fighting arcade game feel to these Extreme Diplomacy battles." Each faction leader will also have a super move, and we've listed the first six moves to be revealed after the break. Finally, Civilization will have some action!
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2k-gamesapril-foolsapril-fools-2010civ-4civ-5civ-ivcivilizationcivilization-4civilization-5civilization-ivextreme-diplomacyfiraxis-gamessid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivstrategyThu, 01 Apr 2010 11:55:00 -040011|19422815https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/27/direct2drive-discounts-civilization-iv-supreme-commander-this-w/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/27/direct2drive-discounts-civilization-iv-supreme-commander-this-w/https://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/27/direct2drive-discounts-civilization-iv-supreme-commander-this-w/#comments

If you're one of the few who doesn't "get" the Civilization addiction epidemic, which has swept the world over the last two decades leaving workplace productivity in shambles, consider yourself luckier than the folks in the video after the break. Yes, Civilization Revolution was solid, but CivIV has the uncanny ability to turn the sweetest old lady into a crazed destroyer of all mankind. Basically, It's fun for the whole family.

Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization is an interesting title in its marketing and presentation. The Civ IV tag is put on the game to give an idea of what to expect for those who don't remember the original Colonization, but the game is also clearly based on the Civilization IV engine and uses similar assets. Also, given some of the well-designed mods in Civ IV expansion, Beyond the Sword, we were wondering if Colonization would end up being a glorified mod or appear to be an actual new game? We still haven't come to a conclusion on that question, but there's a lot in this stand-alone product that certainly goes beyond what we'd call "a mod."

For starters, and it really bites that we can't show the UI or find videos, the interface and music are different from Civilization IV. Also, the graphics have been given a nice boost and, seeing them in person, it's certainly noticeable. Senior Producer Jesse Smith also walked us through several other things that make Colonization different from Civ IV.
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2k-gamesciv-4civ-ivcivilizationcivilization-4civilization-4-colonizationcivilization-ive3-2008firaxis-gamesimpressionspcsid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivstrategySun, 20 Jul 2008 17:30:00 -040011|1261610https://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/12/big-versus-compares-civilization-revolution-to-pc-predecessors/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/12/big-versus-compares-civilization-revolution-to-pc-predecessors/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/12/big-versus-compares-civilization-revolution-to-pc-predecessors/#comments

Wipe away those tears, sunken-eyed PC loyalists. We know you're upset that Firaxis appears to have turned their back on you in favor of the somewhat fairer console waters, but perhaps the latest edition of Big Versus on Joystiq's youngest sibling, Big Download, will mend your tattered hearts. The console-exclusive Civilization Revolution is measured against the PC-exclusive Civilization IV in this installment -- are PC gamers being robbed of an important chapter in the seminal turn-based strategy franchise, or are they dodging a dumbed-down, oversimplified bullet? You've got to read to find out -- but knowing you brainy PC types, that shouldn't be a problem.
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2k-gamesbig-versusciv-4civ-ivciv-revcivilizationcivilization-4civilization-ivcivilization-revolutiondsfiraxis-gamesmicrosoftmicrosoft xbox 360nintendopcsid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivsid-meiers-civilization-revolutionstrategyxbox-360Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:00:00 -040011|1253681https://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/gametap-thursday-civ-iv-warlords-descent-iii-and-american-deer/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/gametap-thursday-civ-iv-warlords-descent-iii-and-american-deer/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/26/gametap-thursday-civ-iv-warlords-descent-iii-and-american-deer/#comments

Some more Interplay titles return to GameTap this week, but the really nice addition is that of Civilization IV's expansion, Warlords. It added several new elements to the excellent turn-based strategy game, like the Great General unit, vassal states and unique buildings for each nation.

Civilization IV: Warlords (Windows) - The expansion to Civ IV. There are also several scenarios in Warlords to try out if you're not looking for the full-blown world conquering experience.

American Deer Hunting (Windows) - PETA will thank you for playing this game instead of being a real man and killing yourself a big ol' buck.

GameTap's free games list gets several new additions this week. We've placed the full list after the break and bolded the new titles for easy reference.
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2k-gamesciv-4civ-ivcivilization-4civilization-4-warlordscivilization-ivdescent-3descent-iiifiraxis-gamesgametapgametapthursdaymaconlinepcsid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivstrategyThu, 26 Jun 2008 03:00:00 -040011|1236754https://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/17/tuaw-hands-on-with-crossover-games/https://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/17/tuaw-hands-on-with-crossover-games/https://www.tuaw.com/2008/04/17/tuaw-hands-on-with-crossover-games/#comments

We posted about the release of CrossOver Games a little while ago -- it's a version of Codeweavers' Windows virtualization software that allows Windows games to be played on OS X and Linux. I grabbed a copy of the software for TUAW, and spent an afternoon running it through its paces.

You can check out the hands-on after the break -- after installing CrossOver Games, I first tried to load up Guild Wars using their installer's package interface, and was able to get it working pretty well. I then tried one of my favorite games, Civilization 4, and unfortunately, that one didn't turn out quite so well. And just for kicks, I also gave F.E.A.R. a shot -- it's not on CrossOver's compatibility list at all, but I've had a copy sitting around for a while that I haven't played yet, so I let the virtualization app take a crack at getting it working.

The hands-on is in this simple and easy-to-use (which is more than I can say about CrossOver Games) gallery format -- just click the picture furthest to the left down there and begin our journey into the exciting world of virtualization and game installation. I can tell you're excited already.

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Update: Arjun found the problem with Civ in the comments; apparently only the Steam version is compatible. Which vibes with the rest of what I found: if you want to play any of the Steam or built-in games with CrossOver, they'll likely work just fine. But if you want to install another game from a CD (especially unsupported games), you're out of luck.
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analysis / opinionciv-4crossover-gamesfeaturesgamegamingguild-warshands-onhandsonsoftwaretesttuawtweet-thisvirtualizationThu, 17 Apr 2008 08:00:00 -040016|1154312https://wow.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/ken-levine-loves-world-of-warcraft/https://wow.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/ken-levine-loves-world-of-warcraft/https://wow.joystiq.com/2008/04/08/ken-levine-loves-world-of-warcraft/#comments

MSNBC asked Ken Levine, creator of last year's underwater masterpiece, Bioshock, to list his five favorite games of all-time, and right there on the list, between Civ IV and Heroes of Might and Magic 2, is our favorite MMORPG. Yup, the World of Warcraft makes it into the top five of all-time, according to the guy that created the city that Andrew Ryan created.

Of course, instead of saying he enjoyed the game for its endless replayability, its pitch-perfect reward system, or its effective graphics and design style, he compares his love of Blizzard's game to alcoholism, and calls it his "always-reliable secret shame." Next time you talk about World of Warcraft in the media, Mr. Levine, would you kindly try praising the game instead of your addiction to it?

[Via Joystiq]
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bioshockciv-4fan stuffheroes-of-might-and-magic-2humorjoystiqken-levinemsnbcodds and endsvirtual selvesworld-of-warcraftTue, 08 Apr 2008 13:30:00 -040099|1161639https://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/07/readers-pick-best-civ-iv-webcomic-ctrl-alt-del/https://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/07/readers-pick-best-civ-iv-webcomic-ctrl-alt-del/https://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/07/readers-pick-best-civ-iv-webcomic-ctrl-alt-del/#commentsOf all the webcomics made for Firaxis' Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, Tim Buckley of Ctrl+Alt+Delhad his pair of comics voted most popular by a closer-than-usual margin. The strips played on historical anachronisms and World Wonder rule sets. We're really hoping voters didn't choose the strip for the Buttsylvania line.

Second place goes to Dueling Analogs' Steve Napierski (our favorite), and third place to Scott Kurtz of PVP Online. Thanks to everyone who voted, and since we're returning to our usual routine next week, be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week (and last week, too).
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2k-gamesbeyondtheswordciv-4civ-ivcivilizationcivilization-4civilization-ivctrlaltdelcultureduelinganalogsfiraxis-gamesonlinepollspvponlinescottkurtzsid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivstevenapierskistrategytimbuckleywebcomicTue, 07 Aug 2007 07:30:00 -040011|959403https://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/11/civilization-iv-beyond-the-sword-unleashes-july-23/https://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/11/civilization-iv-beyond-the-sword-unleashes-july-23/https://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/11/civilization-iv-beyond-the-sword-unleashes-july-23/#commentsLooks like July is the month for strategy and simulation aficionados. 2K announced today that Civilization IV: Beyond The Sword releases the week of July 23, and internationally by the end of July. As we discussed before, this expansion is a welcome relief for players who typically don't take the route of combat in winning the game.

Civ IV: Warlords was a great expansion to the series and hopefully Beyond the Sword will give non-war inclined players more viable options to victory. One of the features we're looking forward to is the "advanced starts" option. It will allow players to "buy components of a custom-tailored empire and begin play in the later part of the game, allowing them to experience many of the new features of the expansion pack in a shorter amount of time." That'll be great for those of us who give up somewhere around the 18th century because Shaka's at the door, Stalin is building up for an attack and Elizabeth just won't trade anymore.

Soren Johnson, lead designer for Civilization IV, has left his nearly seven-year gig at Firaxis to work on Will Wright's Spore. Johnson had previously worked with Spore publisher Electronic Arts when he interned there and programmed for the PlayStation titles Knockout Kings 2000 and 2001.

The news originally surfaced earlier today on Civilization site Apolyton and was later confirmed by Electronic Arts, according to GameSpot. The decision requires Johnson to move from Maryland to California.

There is no indication as to why Johnson left Firaxis or in what facet he is helping with Spore this late in the game's development cycle. (The title, having been in development since 2000, is scheduled for release by the end of this year.) Of course, there's the obvious possibility he'll be helping out with the civilization phase of the game. Johnson's personal blog has not been updated since this year's Game Developers Conference. As Gamasutra notes, Johnson had been working on an original IP for Firaxis; its fate is currently unknown.
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2k-gamesciv-4civ-ivcivilizationcivilization-4civilization-ivelectronic-artsfiraxis-gamesmaxissid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivsimulationssoren-johnsonsporestrategyWed, 18 Apr 2007 21:25:00 -040011|877532https://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/12/firaxis-to-revisit-x-com-in-civ-iv-beyond-the-sword/https://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/12/firaxis-to-revisit-x-com-in-civ-iv-beyond-the-sword/https://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/12/firaxis-to-revisit-x-com-in-civ-iv-beyond-the-sword/#commentsFiraxis' Tim McCracken recently updated the official Civilization IV site with details on a very intriguing scenario in the coming Beyond the Sword expansion. The scenario, "Afterworld," is "a tip of the hat to the Gollop brothers and the original X-COM team." "Afterworld" sounds like a squad-based, sci-fi scenario that is heavy on combat and light on everything else. "There are no leaders. No cities. No technologies. It's not the typical game of Civ. It's Afterworld."

McCracken doesn't say much more, but Firaxis doing an X-COM homage is enough to make many gamers drool. More than we usually do, we mean.
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2k-gamesciv-4civ-ivcivilizationcivilization-4civilization-4-beyond-the-swordcivilization-ivfiraxis-gamespcsid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivstrategyx-comThu, 12 Apr 2007 13:00:00 -040011|872868https://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/28/civilization-iv-beyond-the-sword-announced/https://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/28/civilization-iv-beyond-the-sword-announced/https://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/28/civilization-iv-beyond-the-sword-announced/#commentsStrategy junkies get ready to be home bound this summer, 2K announced the second expansion for Civilization IV entitled Beyond the Sword. The expansion will be out by the end of July and focus on the late-game time period after gunpowder. This puppy is big with ten new civs, 16 new leaders, five new wonders and a slew of other additions.

Civilization IV's last expansion, Warlords, focused on combat. Beyond the Sword is designed for the players looking to dominate through other methods. Corporations will allow players to trade resources throughout the world, espionage will be allowed earlier in the game and the race to Alpha Centauri will require more strategy. There will also be advanced starts, allowing players to skip ahead and experience the new content. Which is great, but like Damion Shubert said at GDC, "There's still nothing like that first hour of a game in Civilization when players are just starting their empire."
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2k-gamesciv-4civ-ivcivilizationcivilization-4civilization-ivfiraxis-gamespcsid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivstrategyWed, 28 Mar 2007 18:55:00 -040011|862438https://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/30/metareview-civilization-iv-warlords/https://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/30/metareview-civilization-iv-warlords/https://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/30/metareview-civilization-iv-warlords/#comments
Just in case Civilization IV hasn't consumed enough hours of your life, Sid Meier and his team at Firaxis are giving you one more reason to spend the rest of the summer indoors. Warlords is the first expansion pack to 2005's near-unanimous PC game of the year, and was built with the aggressive Civ gamer in mind. There are six new playable civilizations, including the Barbarians, and a new warlord unit to help pump up your military production. Get to war!

Yahoo! Games (90/100) likes the diverse settings: "There are scenarios for all tastes, from combat-oriented conquests like Alexander the Great or Genghis Khan, to diplomacy heavy episodes like Chinese Unification or The Rise of Rome. These scenarios provide new and distinctive experiences no matter how many times you've played Civilization IV."

GameSpot (86/100) notes the bias toward ancient warfare: "These new scenarios are engaging, though they do skew a bit toward ancient-world settings and conflicts. Still, the campaigns here are interesting, and each features a unique challenge. These scenarios are essentially modifications of the core game, and they feature rewritten tech trees and unique units that are appropriate for their settings. There are also a number of new wonders of the world."

GameSpy (70/100) questions the value of this expansion with so many free mods available: "The biggest problem with Warlords is simply one of value. For all the fun the scenarios, new units, and new civilizations add to the game, they simply don't push the game far enough. The only really new gameplay element added in Warlords is the vassal state. This is a gameplay dynamic that allows a player to offer political subservience to another empire."

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2k-gamesciv-4civ-ivcivilizationcivilization-4civilization-4-warlordscivilization-ivfiraxis-gamesmetareviewsonlinepcsid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivstrategySun, 30 Jul 2006 17:00:00 -040011|647024https://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/17/new-civ-iv-patch-wont-melt-your-g5/https://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/17/new-civ-iv-patch-wont-melt-your-g5/https://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/17/new-civ-iv-patch-wont-melt-your-g5/#commentsIf you're currently playing the Mac version of Civilization IV, you should download Aspyr Media's new patch. The update fixes a power hungry bug that causes excessive CPU usage, particularly in Power Mac and iMac G5s. Inside Mac Games discusses some additional Civ IV issues that Mac gamers should be aware of.
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2k-gamesciv-4civ-ivcivilizationcivilization-4civilization-ivfiraxis-gamesmaconlinesid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivstrategyMon, 17 Jul 2006 14:30:00 -040011|643716https://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/04/mac-civ-4-trailer-released/https://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/04/mac-civ-4-trailer-released/https://www.joystiq.com/2006/06/04/mac-civ-4-trailer-released/#comments
Mac gamers who've had their fill of Civilization III Complete won't have much longer to wait for a new strategy fix. Aspyr Media, one of the largest publishers of Mac games, will be releasing Sid Meier's Civilization IV on June 30 in Mac Universal format. Apple is hosting the official trailer, as well as dozens of other game trailers, in an effort to promote gaming on the Mac. Think different and get civilized!

Having already sold over 1 million copies of Civilization IV, Sid Meier and his team at Firaxis will continue to feed your strategy cravings when they ship the Warlords expansion pack this summer. The greatest military leaders in history will be honored in six new scenarios, and you can use them to construct a broad-based international military force to get food to the people who need it. "Can I get a Coke?"
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2k-gamesciv-4civ-ivcivilizationcivilization-4civilization-4-warlordscivilization-ivfiraxis-gamesonlinepcsid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivstrategyFri, 17 Mar 2006 12:35:00 -050011|600375https://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/14/sid-meier-soren-johnson-on-gaming-industry/https://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/14/sid-meier-soren-johnson-on-gaming-industry/https://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/14/sid-meier-soren-johnson-on-gaming-industry/#commentsGameSpy spoke with industry luminary Sid Meier and Civilization IV co-designer Soren Johnson at DICE last month. The Firaxis dynamic duo weighed in on everything from the state of PC gaming to World of Warcraft to escalating game budgets. Here are some quick takes:

Meier: "I think there are a lot of opportunities for the PC to make a comeback. It has some inherent strengths. Connectivity, certainly. Massively multiplayer games. Email! The things that a PC does well, what snuck it into the home in the first place, is still there."

Johnson: "I think the thing is, if you're going to make a multiplayer game, the days of trying to 'shoehorn' in multiplayer are over. As an aside, I think we're almost reaching a point where single-player games are getting under-served. One reason I really enjoy World of Warcraft is that there's so few good single-player RPGs for the PC right now."
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2k-gamesbusinessciv-4civ-ivcivilizationcivilization-4civilization-ivculturefiraxis-gamespcsid-meiersid-meiers-civilization-4sid-meiers-civilization-ivsoren-johnsonstrategyTue, 14 Mar 2006 12:00:00 -050011|599261https://www.joystiq.com/2005/12/27/mario-party-civ-iv-help-give-amazon-com-record-holiday-season/https://www.joystiq.com/2005/12/27/mario-party-civ-iv-help-give-amazon-com-record-holiday-season/https://www.joystiq.com/2005/12/27/mario-party-civ-iv-help-give-amazon-com-record-holiday-season/#commentsIt was a very good holiday season for Amazon.com. The ever-popular online store has reported approximately 108 million items have been ordered since November 1st - their best holiday season yet. In their press release, Amazon.com notes that "video games were popular this year," citing their top sellers as Mario Party 7, Civilization IV, and Age of Empires 3. Top in video game hardware were, unsurprisingly, the three portable consoles: the pearl blue Game Boy Advance SP (not Micro?), the electric blue Nintendo DS, and the Sony PSP value pack.

How many of you used Amazon this year for the majority of your holiday shopping?

The two went head to head in a metareview showdown: Civilization IV versus Age of Empires III. AoE III won in sales, but got edged out in overall rankings, but then it was revealed that Civilization IV was playing injured. Reports of buggy software flooded the nets, and then it was AoE III's game to lose. Then today, a reader informed us that AoE III suffered from a plentitude of bugs as well. The forums are buzzing with comments like:

Vincedia: OK, so we bought this game, get it home, start to play, and find out we are paying to Beta test? I've had the game for a bit over 2 weeks now and I still can not stop the crashing to desktop.

gman: What I haven't seen is a response from ES at all.

There are hundreds of posts just like this one, on this forum alone! Is this a case of two competitors both rushing their competing titles out the door only to have them compete against another rushed product? Or was the lucrative holiday season looming, so the "patch it later" mentality kicked in. We love Sid Meier, but we want him to know that the DS doesn't work that way. Now, if Microsoft brings AoE to the 360, maybe they could patch it... but let's not even think about that.

Civilization IV has been winning accolades from game critics, but customer experience with the title has not been quite as positive, with widespread reports of buggy software behavior piling up at Amazon.com and at other sites that accept user feedback (MetaCritic, too). We're talking roach infestation here.

In sum, gamers complain that the game simply overpowers even gaming rigs with multiple gigs of RAM. Here are some typical complaints:

"Even after a clean uninstall/reinstall of Civ4 and the updated ATI drivers, I continued to get the increasing (and ultimately fatal) number of late-game crashes on my Sony VAIO desktop (3.6GHz P4, 1GB RAM, WinMCE SP2, RADION X600)." (Bruce Webster, on Amazon.com)

"2+ minutes game load time, 1+ minute between turns (large pangaea) and circa 1999 graphics which lag and sputter make this game unplayable for all but the most devoted of Civilization fans." (Duane Pye, on Amazon.com)

"I think the game itself is pretty interesting, but what does it matter since I can't play a game all the way through? Once I get to the 1800s or so, the game crashes every 2 or 3 turns." (Lawrence Wisne, Jr., on Amazon.com)

"I installed this on two computers. On one, the graphics completely don't work. While there are ways to fix this, they basically involve cheating and revealing the whole map. No no no. On the other computer, the game runs at a snails pace. I have to wait 3 minutes between ACTIONS. ACTIONS, not TURNS. It took me 7 hours to advance 20 turns. This is NOT an acceptable rate." (S. Wong, on Amazon.com)

Chance are, the game can be quite fun and is worth $50, but we can't encourage anyone to buy a game that was released in such a raw state. It's a shame to see a game with such giant promise taken down by a Lilliputian army of defects.